Curtain-fixture



(No Motlel.)

F. E. WAGNER.

Curtain Fixture. No. 241,835. Patented May 24, 1881-.

witnesses N. PETERS. HIaIO-U lmmphor. Wahlnlun, 04 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FBEDERIU WAGNER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,835, dated May 24, 1881. Application filed September 4, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERIO E. WAGNER, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on a Curtain-Fixture; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification ,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has general reference to curtain-fixtures; and it consists, essentially, in the peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate my said invention more fully, Figure lis a front elevation of my curtain-fixture, roller, and curtain. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brake-bracket. -Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the same. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the cam -lever. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cord-drum and guardflange, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view of part of the shade-roller and its rear bracket.

Like parts are indicated by corresponding letters of reference in all the figures.

In these drawings, the letter A designates the usual wooden shade-roller, suspended from a window or door, 850., on its rear or left end by means of a bracket, B, and on its right or front end by a bracket, 0. This latter bracket is constructed, preferably, of spring-wire, as shown in Fig. 3-that is to say, I take a piece of Wire of proper length and thickness and form on one end an eye, 0, and double the wire at a suitable distance from its other end to form a second eye, 0, the two eyes serving to retain the bracket in proper position by means of screws 0, Fig. 1. Near the two eyes 0 C, I bend the wire, as shown at ff, Fig. 3, and near the bend f I curve the wire to form an eye, 0, while the one extremity of the wire marked D is again curved to form, in conj unction with a similar curve in the part marked D, a large eye, G, for the purpose hereinafter referred to. This bracket 0 supports the front or right side of the shade-roller A, it being arranged to engage with its jaws D D a brakewheel, H, fixed to said shade-roller either by forming an angular pin in the center of said brake-wheel, which pin enters ahole in the end of the shade-roller in the old-fashioned manner of fixing a spool to said roller, or in any other suitable manner.

In the eye C of the bracket (3, which eye is of somewhat oblong shape, operates the cam-shaped portion E of alever, E, said cam being of a shape to correspond with that of the eye 0', and oircumferentially grooved at e, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

In the lowerend of the lever E is provided an eye, E, for the passage of the curtain-cord I.

To the shade -roller A is fitted a spool, G, (shown in detail in Fig. 6,) said spool having a socket, G, by means of which it is afiixed to said shade-roller, and a series of projections, G, concentric with the center of the shaderoller. 'lhese projections form the drum or spool proper, upon which the curtain -cord I is wound, said cord being looped or tied around one of said projections, G, through the openin gs or notches G. The rear end of the shaderoller A is passed through the bracket B, said bracket having an eye large enough to pass the roller without reducing it in size and without the intervention of shade-roller pivots, the said shade-roller being retained in position by the jaws D D engaging the grooved brakewheel H to the exclusion of any other means. By thus constructing the shade-roller and its brackets, and by passing the same through the rear bracket, Iderive severalimportant results, viz: I first dispense with the use of a pivot and flange on the rear end and the screws to fasten said flange, and I also save the trouble of cutting off and squaring up of the shaderoller to fit the different sizes of windows, which latter feature is quite an advantage when the fact is borne in mind that fully one-half of all the curtain-fixtures put up are affixed by the party buying and using the same, and who are, as a rule, unskilled in this special branch of the art, and but seldom, if ever, supplied with the necessary tools to make an acceptable job.

In operation, the curtain-fixtures being affixed to a window in such manner that the jaws D D of the bracket 0 embrace the brakewheel H, the curtain-cord I is passed through the eye E of the cam-lever E. When so affixed the jaws D D are so constructed as toimpinge upon the periphery of said brake-wheel, and thereby prevent the shade-roller from revolving. It being desired to lower the curtain, nothing needs be done but to pull the same downward to the desired position, the friction on the brake-roller not being sutficient to prevent the shade F from being manipulated in that manner. To raise the same, the curtaincord 1 is pulled down. This has the efiect of first pulling the cam -lever E forward, and thereby to revolve the cam portion E in such manner as to spread the jaws D D apart, and thereby to release the shade-roller, so that the cord I will readily pull the shade F up by nuwinding from its spool G.

It will now be readily observed that by the introduction of'the spring-bracket (Jfor such it isthe shade-roller is held by friction in any desired position, while by pulling the cord I said friction is removed and the shade-roller liberated, so that it can be readily manipulated. It will be further observed that this brake or spring action of the bracket 0 is attained by constructing the said bracket of spring-wire in the manner described. This construction may, however, be varied and the bracket constructed partly of wire and partl y of cast metal, or entirely cast, such a device being illustrated in Fig. 4, where the lower portion, D, is afiixed to the window-framing, and the upper portion,

D, hinged to the lower part, I), at b, a spring, a, being arranged to depress the uppcrjaw, I), and thereby ati'ord the necessary friction.

Many other devices that will readily suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic may be constructed without departing from the spirit of myinvention, I having adopted the wire bracket as the cheapest means of carrying the same into efl'ect.

By constructing the drum G in the manner described, I derive several advantages, prominent of which is, that I can make the drum proportionatel y large without increasingits weight and cost, and that, on account of said drum being so large, the curtain is more readily manipulated. As shown,this spool can be readily produced in the process ot'casting and the cord I applied to the prongs G.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A spring-bracket torcurtain-fixtures,composed entirely of wire in one piece, said piece having on one end an eye, 0, and a bend,f, then a further bend, d, and a large curved part, D, and a small curved part, 0', another bend,f, and an eye, 0, and a second small and large curved part, 0 D, substantially in the manner as and for the object specified.

2. ln curtain-fixtures, a bracket having one fixed or rigid and one elastic jaw, and an oblong eye formed in the shanks of the two jaws, in combination with a lever having an oblong head fitted within said eye, whereby by actuating said lever the elastic jaw is moved away from the rigid jaw, in a manner substantially as described, for the object stated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

F. E. WAGNER.

Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, GEORGE J. STRAUB. 

